Reporting past questions
When you recount what someone asked you in the past—like the bizarre, rapid-fire questions you might hear at a speed dating event—you use indirect reported speech.
Because the action of asking happened in the past (using a verb like preguntó), the tense of the original question "shifts back" a step in time. In these cases, the original present tense question becomes the imperfect tense.
Yes/No questions with "si"
To report a "yes or no" question, link the reporting verb to the question with si (if / whether).
| The first suitor asked me if I ate bread. | El primer pretendiente me preguntó si yo comía pan. |
| While he was flirting, he asked me if I liked garlic. | Mientras coqueteaba, me preguntó si me gustaba el ajo. |
| During the chat, he asked if we had compatibility. | Durante la charla, preguntó si teníamos compatibilidad. |
Information questions (Wh- questions)
When reporting a question that asks for specific information, do not use si. Instead, bridge the sentence using the original question word (qué, adónde, por qué, etc.).
Remember that these interrogative words always keep their written accents, even in indirect questions.
| The suitor gave me the questionnaire and asked what I wanted to know. | El pretendiente me dio el cuestionario y preguntó qué quería saber. |
| It bewildered me when he asked where I was going. | A mí me desconcertó cuando él preguntó adónde iba. |
| The girl asked why that question scared me away. | La chica preguntó por qué esa pregunta me espantaba. |